Introducing our Good B*tch Life Leader Winner: the juicy, joyful and inspirational sexologist, Morgan Penn!
When we first came up with the idea for Capsule Good B*tch awards, we knew we wanted it to be a celebration – and we had no idea how big that celebration would be. We have been overwhelmed by the response – thank you SO much for supporting us in this – and we already have big plans for expanding these awards next year. The talent, kindness and vulnerability shown by our GB nominees has always inspired us and we feel so privileged that we were able to share their stories and mahi on Capsule. As you can imagine, judging was tough and between the Capsule and Shark Beauty judging panels, we were able to narrow down this wonderful field to highlight the winners for each category.
If we’re talking about women who help us get as much out of life as possible, cum on down, somatic sexologist Morgan Penn! The sexologist and co-host of the Sex.Life podcast has been on a mission to de-stigmatise sex and kinks and sensuality with her work as a somatic sexologist, and offers tips and tricks for women to get connected within their own bodies. Her openness, humour and kindness in a vulnerable space is an absolute joy.
The Capsule team says: When we sat down to pick the winner of this category, as with all the others, it wasn’t an easy decision – but Morgan’s unashamed, strong and valuable voice in the sexual health space spoke volumes, as does her countless free resources and advice that women across the motu can access to help their own sex lives and intimacy quests. She’s our Life Leader because she is, at times, a lone voice for sexual confidence and doesn’t give a damn about what anyone else thinks, and she’s always around to offer support or guidance for those who are wanting it. She changes and improves life on the daily as a somatic sexologist, and we adore her!
The Shark Beauty panel adds: “Shark Beauty celebrates Morgan Penn for her work in promoting body confidence, sensuality, and self-empowerment. Through her podcast and practice, Morgan inspires women to embrace their bodies, aligning with Shark Beauty’s ethos of confidence and authenticity. Her vulnerability and humour create a more open, empowered conversation around intimacy.” – Arneka Grosvenor, Marketing and Communications Director, Shark Beauty.
Here’s our chat with Morgan, and her take on leading a more pleasurable, happy, joyful and juicy life!
Kia ora Morgan – and congratulations on being named one of our inaugural Good B*tches! How are ya?
Aw, thank you! I’m on the first days of my moon cycle so I’m a bit la la loopy, to be honest.
SAME – today has a wild vibe to it.
Ok great, you have that same vibe too, that makes me feel better. I had an intense energetic orgasm about two weeks ago and this period’s been late, and I think that my body thought – because it was such an intense orgasm while I was ovulating – that I was the Virgin Mary and I’d conceived. I’ve spent the last week freaking out but then she arrived this morning. Phew.
And just like that, we’re off to the races!
Welcome to my life [laughs].
I love these chats – honestly yarns like this is why you’re the winner of our Life Leader category!
I’m so, so honoured. I couldn’t believe it, the women in my category… for once, I was speechless. I love being a good bitch. I love the reclamation of the word, it’s ours now!
EXACTLY. We loved the Life Leader category so much, there’s such an eclectic bunch of women in there, and it was all about women who make other women’s lives easier, better or more fulfilled. We love so much how you make it easier for women to talk about and connect with their sensual bodies, and how you break down taboos and shame around sex and sexuality. How do you do it?
It’s about getting women’s bodies and minds integrated. Actually, a lot of the solutions for a lot of problems lie in the body: what is blocked, what’s suppressed and what isn’t being spoken. Basically, it’s a permission slip to actually be in your truth and say the things that are hard to say, you know, to start living more authentically and stripping stuff back.
Sometimes we just need to have a little guide in our lives to ask the right questions. Having the power and the space to allow women to have an easier or more connected and pleasurable life is to be connected to the body, not just stuck in the mind.
I like what you said there about the permission slip – I feel like women almost need a permission slip to do something for themselves a lot of the time, because we’re so busy looking after everyone else. I mean, we shouldn’t need a permission slip for ANYTHING, but the way women especially are wired…
TOTALLY – and it’s something that we already know, but sometimes we just need to hear that it’s ok from someone else. And I’m happy to be that someone else – I’ve always had a fierce voice! There’s always an element of ‘if she can do it, I can do it too!’.
How does it feel to be called a good b*tch?
[Pauses]. It feels right, actually! [Laughs] I’m really honoured. I feel alone a lot of the time in my work, and to feel like I’ve been seen, especially when I feel like I’m doing some out-there things, or worried about being judged and accepted, so to be honoured for my work is really heartwarming, to be honest. There are so many beautiful women in this doing amazing stuff, and it hasn’t felt competitive or pitting us against each other – it’s felt like a celebration.
Aw, that’s lovely, thank you! But we should be giving the compliments to you right now, especially for your second season of Sex.Life, the podcast you co-hosted with fellow Good B*tch nominee Hayley Sproull – congratulations on the wild success!
Thank you, it’s been really amazing and it’s shown just how far we’ve come and how much this type of conversation is needed – people are ready and hungry and accepting, and we’ve come a long way from even The Trainee Sexologist podcast I did with Sharyn Casey – oh, another Good B*tch!
I mean, there’s some shit going on in the world right now, so a little pleasure definitely feels like just the tonic – especially when the only thing you can really control is yourself?
Exactly, and what I try to model with every client is that communication – radical honesty – is so important because we as a society are terrible at communicating our true needs and desires, and we all fear rejection. If we levelled up our communication, especially in the sexual health space, we’d have a much healthier world.
You must hear a lot of trauma with your work, too – that must get pretty tough at times?
Yeah it is actually, and it’s made me more aware of my energetic body – how it takes on things and the processes I need to do to discharge… wait, that’s not the right word!
[Laughs] Get rid of? Free? Cleanse?
[Laughs] YES, CLEANSE after each day. I actually went through a phase where my own libido dropped, and I’ve always been a horndog, so I was like, ‘I wonder if listening to people’s stories all day long is having an impact?’ So I went to my counsellor and we put a few things in place to help with that. For me, I need to practise what I preach, so having a healthy sex life is important!
Look, I have to ask. What the hell is an ‘energetic orgasm?’
Hah, well let me tell you, it’s great. I was fully clothed – I was actually wearing a slutty Maverick dress, a costume, you know, from Top Gun? An energetic orgasm is where your energetic body is activated, and you can physically feel things in your body that aren’t actually happening. It was me and this sweet man, we were having a smooch session, we’d done eye gazing and circular breathing together, and our nervous systems were co-regulating. We were sitting facing each other, and he kind of pulled me on his lap and I just had this surge of activation and I just started tingling and vibrating – it’s like you’re completely filled up, and this beautiful expansion of every cell. It was an amazing connection, and it was gorgeous.
Humans are capable of the divine with these feelings – like a oneness with the universe that we’re part of something bigger. It was magical, I felt younger, I felt juicy! I love it when a couple comes to see me and it’s only ever been about missionary for the 20 years they’ve been married, and they say to me, ‘we want what you’re having’. Then I get to take them on a beautiful journey, and it’s like they’re teenagers again!
It comes back to intimacy, right? Because sex and intimacy can be very easily confused.
Honestly yes, holy shit. Intimacy is hard because it’s really vulnerable. It takes a real level of courage to be seen, and another level again to truly see someone else.
Yes! I honestly think the secret to success is vulnerability.
Couldn’t agree more. It’s the essence of our humanness. We all have guarded hearts and we’ve all had hurts, and it’s part of our journey to come back to that vulnerable space to be able to heal.
You’re amazing mate, thank you so much for the chat – and for being one of our inaugural Good B*tches!
Aw, it’s a great thing. I can’t wait to tell the world I’m a recognised Good B*tch! How delicious!
The Good B*tch Pillars: Community, Purpose, Joy, Leadership and Success:
Who do you look up to yourself in the LIFE LEADER or sexual liberation space?
There’s a legend in the sexual landscape world, Betty Dodson, she’s passed now. She was the first woman to get a group of women together masturbating with giant plug-in vibrators! But generally, I love the truth speakers and the people who just don’t give a fuck any more, and aren’t afraid of pissing people off. I’m really inspired by my mum, who has always wanted me to be my true self, and I’ve got a beautiful group of friends that have really called me into my highest self too.
What’s your ‘why’ these days – your overarching PURPOSE?
Women need a fierce voice to speak the truth about sex and intimacy and sensuality. We do not need to endure things with our body. Painful sex is not normal – all these types of things. We should be sexually liberated and feeling really powerful. We should be able to choose what to and what not to do sexually, and allow pleasure to be front and centre. We’re all living really busy and stressful lives, and pleasure can actually make us so much happier and healthier and glowing and just, JUICY for life, not just in the bedroom.
What’s been a moment recently where you felt JOY? I mean you probably answered this at the start of this call, I’m going with the energetic orgasm?
[Laughs] Oh my god, you’re so funny. YES, you’ve outed me, it was the energetic orgasm! I mean, most of the time it’s the simple things. I’ve been in Sydney for the last few months, and now I’ve been back and connected with the whenua, my soul is so joyful. Joy is the sun, the sunrise, a good coffee, touching myself slowly, having those deep, hearty connections with other humans. Dancing with gay abandon. Joy is everywhere and it can be small and free and we should be hunting it out viciously every day.
And what does SUCCESS mean to you? How do you measure it?
It’s about how I feel in my head – it comes back to joy, really. But it’s in the space of me feeling grounded and content, the people that I love around me. I do think there’s a part of my soul and ego that quite likes being in the spotlight, you know, so there’s a little piece of that. But I think it comes down to being able to go out there and spread the good word about sex! If I’m doing that, I’m a happy chappy.
You talk a lot about connecting to the whenua and us, as a part of nature, living in union with it the best we can – is that how you connect with COMMUNITY?
Yes, that, and I like to give back where I can and I take on clients pro bono. I’m not ACC registered – I’m not able to be – but I don’t want money to ever be a barrier to getting help in this space. So that’s why I do podcasts and give out information on my Instagram, which has really become a great little community itself, and I’m very protective of it.
And finally, tell us about three other Good B*tches you yourself look up to, and who you think deserves a moment in the spotlight?
Anna Squelch (@annasquelch) An ex-life coach, who has done the sperm donor journey and become a single mum and is sharing her story – it’s all the hard bits and is so empowering.
Samantha Keene (@samskeen247) She’s a researcher at Victoria University and is all about fiercely protecting women around rough sex.
Dani Fennessy (@dani.fennessy)I love that she’s being visible in her sexuality to support others – she creates queer dating events and all sorts of goodness!
Contact Morgan here!
The Capsule Good B*tch Awards has been powered by the absolute good bitches at Shark Beauty. We are incredibly lucky at Capsule to have such an incredible partner who supports our mahi, understands our vision and enables us to tell the stories we think truly matter to New Zealand women, and we thank you immensely!